Alchemist

Practicing alchemy calls for a firm grasp of chemistry, physics, and centuries-old alchemical theory, which places its practitioners much nearer to scientists than to magicians. Talent matters too, an innate feel for manipulating matter and energy that book study alone cannot supply, so not everyone who trains can master the art.

Because the work can mend broken objects swiftly and with little effort, skilled alchemists are valued members of society, and many hold to an informal motto, Be Thou For The People, that urges them to serve the public rather than chase personal or political gain. To keep dangerous knowledge from the wrong hands, they tend to write their notes in private ciphers that only fellow experts can decode.

A State Alchemist works for the Amestrian military inside a selective, government-run program. Membership brings real privileges: access to the finest laboratories and research materials, a generous annual grant, and an automatic officer's rank equal to a Major, along with the influence that comes with it.

In return, members accept three hard rules. They must obey the chain of command, which earns them the scornful nickname Dogs of the Military and, since the Ishval war, deployment as living weapons. They may not manufacture gold, a ban meant to protect the economy. And they are forbidden to attempt human transmutation, a prohibition whose stated moral reasons mask a darker aim. Winning a license means passing a written examination, a psychological screening, and a practical trial, after which the Fuhrer grants a coded title suited to the candidate and issues a silver pocket watch as proof of rank. Edward Elric carries the title Fullmetal, Roy Mustang the Flame Alchemist, and Alex Louis Armstrong the Strong-Arm Alchemist.

The truth behind the program reaches far beyond the military's stated goals. It exists as one piece of Father's long design for the Promised Day, a means of spotting and gathering suitable candidates to serve as Human Sacrifices. That secret aim explains why Wrath, ruling as King Bradley, waved Edward's license renewal through without the usual assessment report, since keeping the boy enrolled let the homunculi watch him closely.

The forbidden status of human transmutation ties in as well, for the real fear was never only ethics but the danger that someone might grow a private army of homunculi.